amor et belli
by illa vorant
Summary: "I don't want to have the world's attention. Yours is enough."


❝_It's exciting when you find parts of yourself in someone else._❞

The wedding had been quick. Not really standard, and by far not what pureblood weddings were. Or what they used to be.  
Most weddings were extravagant, they were a time for the fathers of both the bride and the groom to show off their wealth. Most could be considered a celebration; the joining of two wealthy and well off in the social standings of society families, their children would be the future of a brand new and promising pureblood generation. Astoria had always imagined getting married in this way, her wedding would be the most talked about for years to come. Her wedding would be the one to beat. Oh, how the mighty fall.

Other weddings, or the weddings of the lower class purebloods were rushed. There were barely any preparations, most too poor to even afford the minister. These weddings were the ones that Astoria and her sister had been told they would never have, the Greengrass' were too well off. Never in her darkest nightmares had Astoria ever thought that her wedding would be similar to what the Goyles had.  
Thinking back, Astoria could remember every plan she had for her wedding. Of course, everything would be perfect-she could remember going through the photos of her parent's wedding when she was younger. Her mother had looked stunning, her dress had been the purest of white and the lace had been beautifully intricate. Astoria had always said her dress would be the same, or better.

Greengrass Gardens had been robbed during the second war and Phoebe Greengrass' dress was gone, as were most of the family's valuables. The family's vault had been raided and they only had so much money left at Gringotts. While they were better off than most pureblood families after the war, the two heiresses would not be getting as much as originally thought.

So yes, the wedding had been quick and small and very, very, subdued.

Surprisingly though, neither the bride or groom seemed to care. Though their marriage had been arranged since Astoria's birth, they were happy.

* * *

Draco watched as his young wife looked at wall swatches, whatever in Salazar's name those were. He didn't understand why she felt the need to redecorate their entire cottage the Muggle way. They had magic for Merlin's sake! She had insisted and so he had let her do it. If he had known that he would be dragged along with her, Draco would never had agreed.

"What color do you think is better?" Draco was brought back to the present by the sound of her voice, he looked at the two swatches she was showing him.

One was a light blue, the small white writing in the corner indicating that its name was _Iris Moon_. The other was a green color, also a light color that reminded him of spring. _How sappy_, he thought to himself.

He sighed, "The blue, I suppose."

Astoria smiled, "Good choice. Though, it's called _Iris Moon_."

Draco shook his head, "I don't really care for what the _Muggles_ call it, Tori."

She rolled her eyes and made her way back over to the paints, asking for assistance. He didn't understand her, not really. Sure he knew everything that he could possibly know about her, but he didn't understand her. Her reasons for doing things, they didn't make sense to him. Like the redecorating of their cottage. She never gave him a reason for as to why she wanted to do it without magic, just that she did.

#

It felt like an eternity before they left the hardware store. Astoria intertwined their fingers as the couple made their way done the street. The sun was setting, casting a pretty set of colors over the small beach community. She was humming an odd tune that Draco had never heard before and he watched her out the corner of his eye, her soft brown curls framing her face and falling delicately down her back. The skirt she wore swishing with her every step.

He wasn't soft, he struggled to find the beauty in things but with Astoria everything was different. Everything she did was different. This girl-this _woman_, his _wife_-he'd known his whole life, from the first time her mother had brought her to the manor. Had she always been this way? Or was this a product of her time at Hogwarts as a Ravenclaw? Though he supposed she still was one, as he was still a Slytherin.

How had she managed to hold onto the gentle, _soft_ girl from his childhood? Looking back he knows that the answer is yes, she _had_ always been this way. He still didn't understand, but he was too afraid to ask. He was afraid of a lot of things, things he'd never admit to. Not even to her. He was afraid his past would ruin her, harden her soft edges, blacken her light image, taint her pure beauty. He was afraid his touch would break her, that the nightmares he had would leave his twisted mind and enter her good one.

Most of all, he was afraid of losing her.

They kept walking on until they reached their hidden apparition point, Draco removed his hand from Astoria's so that he would have a better grip on the paint can he was carrying. Nodding, Astoria apparated and Draco quickly followed after making sure that no one had seen or heard the loud pop of Astoria's departure. They arrived across from their cottage, a hidden getaway from the Muggle community that was still close to the beach. It was far from any wizard populations and if he were honest, Draco was grateful. A person could only take so much speculation and curious eyes.

The blond followed Astoria inside, quickly removing his shoes and setting them aside. Astoria had told him when they first moved in that every time he entered her house he would take his shoes off. Why, he didn't know. Something about the flooring and sand buildup. He tried not to question _everything_ his wife did.

#

It wouldn't be until later when they sold their cottage and moved to Malfoy manor that Draco understood why Astoria wanted to decorate things herself. She liked the feeling of accomplishment, liked that she could tell people that _she_ had done it. That she had actually put the work and sweat and maybe some tears into it.

He never asked but he knew where it came from. The final battle, everything seemed to stem from that night. Astoria had felt helpless, she felt as though she _couldn't_ do anything. It wasn't because she was too young, there had been many on the battlefield that night that were too young; so many young lives lost that night. No, she was afraid-most were but her especially. What if _He_ had won and not Harry Potter? What would happen to her family if it were found out that she had fought on the _wrong_ side?

Nobody could say for certain. Merlin, he was still paying for what had happened.

She did things by herself because she hated feeling that way, and she never wanted to feel that way again.

* * *

They had two children, Scorpius and Carina. Scorpius was the spitting image of Draco, the same blond hair and grey eyes. Carina's hair was thick and brown and her eyes were green, the same as her maternal grandfather's. Their personalities were polar opposites; Scorpius was more likely to shy way from social interaction while Carina sought it out.

Draco knew that their life wouldn't be easy, though it would still be easier than most. Their last name was Malfoy, and while that once upon time meant something great it no longer did. He didn't teach them to be ashamed for they were still Greengrasses, but he did teach them to be humble. Their name meant something and while it no longer meant something great, it still meant something.

For all his teachings Draco didn't know that he would end up being Lily Potter's father-in-law.

* * *

Astoria was the first to leave. Her body was buried in the family crypt, above the door was half of the Malfoy crest attached to half of the Greengrass crest.

Her funeral had been small, just family and close friends. By now Draco was tired, he needed a cane to help get him around and he knew that soon he would have to get new glasses. Eighty-two years old-he never thought he'd live that long. He wondered how much longer he'd have to live without Astoria.

#

On June 5, 2063, Draco Malfoy passed away in his sleep. He died on his eighty-third birthday with a smile on his face.

On June 7, 2063, he was buried in the family crypt next to Astoria Greengrass-Malfoy.

* * *

❝_Deep in earth my love is lying_

_And I must weep alone._❞


End file.
